Process of and pattern for making underwear



June 2j, '1931.

E. A. cLEMENTs PROCESSOF AND PATTERN` FR MAKING UNDERWEAR 2 sheets-sheet Filed Dec. 26, l192e:

l i QT( l ne s June 24.1931. E.'A.'cLEMEN-rs I POCESS OF AND PATTERN FOR MAKING UNDERWAR Filed DSG, 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED srA'ras PATENT OFFICE EILERT A. (LMENTS, .0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN PROCESS OF AND :PATTERN FOR MAKING UNDERWEAR Appiication mea December 2e, 1929. serial N0.'41e,474.

ted fabric, the fabric is knitted in an elonf f5 gated tube which may be an indefinite number of feet in length, and from this tube the various parts which are used in making up the underwear are cut. Heretofore notonly has the cutting operation been one of considerable difficulty in many respects' but there has also been a considerable waste of material. Particularly in the matter of gussets and inserts which are used at the crotch of the garment, the cutting has been difficult as the fabric is of a yielding non-resistant character, stretching readily in one direction at least and therefore hard to control so as to obtain the proper outline of gusset or insert; This has resulted in a considerable expense both in the matter of cutting and in the matter of waste material which has to be thrown away and destroyed being of no value except as rags.

The present invention is concerned with a novel pattern whereby the process of cutting the tubular knitted fabric is very greatly facilitated and there is'no waste of material.

It is particularly of value in the matter of manufacturing drawers as a separate and dis- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of` the garment.

Fig. 4: is aplan illustrating the manner in whichthe pattern of cutting is used in conjunction with an elongated tube of knitted fabric, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the parts produced by cutting the tube on the pattern lines indicated in Fig. 4. y

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The elongated tube of knitted fabric is laid I vHat with one thickness over the other and is cut on the various lines indicated at 1, 2, 3, 11, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The lines indicated at l parallel the edges of the tube of fabric and joining with said lines are the curved lines 2 and 3 extending away from the ends of the lines 1. Where one end of line 1 joins with the end of line 2, the pattern'line 4 connects therewith and extends to the next consecutive line but at its opposite end where it oins with the end of the line 3. The lines 5 are for transverse cuts extending from the edges of the tube to the point of'juncture of the curved lines 2 and 3. The lines 6 and 7 disposed substantially .opposite to where the cutson the lines 5 are to be made, come together at the opposed edge of the tubeyand diverge from each other until they join the line 1. The lines 8 of the pattern are directly below the sections defined by the diverging lines 6 and 7 and disposed midway between them in alignment with the cutting lines 5 at the opposite side of the tube.

This outline of pattern for cutting the tube may be repeated and continued for the full length of the tubular fabric and when the cuts are 'made on the lines indicated there is produced a plurality of leg portions 9; and foreach pair of legs there will be produced a pair of inserts 10 and a single gusset 11. The wider or upper ends of leg portions where cut -on the lines 6 and 8 and 7 and 8' provide for the dip at the upper end of the garment. That is, the upper edge of the front side of a pair of drawers is located in a` plane below the upper edge of the rear side and inclines downwardly from the sides of the garment to the middle, this bemg caused' by cutting out the vgussets 11 on the lines 6 and 7 in the upper layer of fabric of the tube and cutting square across on the dotted lines 8.

In making up the garment two of the leg portions are used and disposed opposite each other. With these leg portions either one or two of the inserts 10 may be used and particularly in the lighterweight garments two of said gussets will always be used. Their edges made at the cuts 2 and3 are sewed by seams, indicated at 12, to the legs 9 at the inner sides thereof as shown best in Fig. 3. The gusset 1l is disposed at the back of the garment and the sides thereof where cut at 6 and 7 are seamed to the adjacent edges of 4 l the leg members 9 at 13 which join with the back seam 14 where the upper portions of the legs are connected together as shown at Fig. 1. The lower side of the gusset 11 is connected by the seam 15 tothe edge 'of the inserts 10 made by the cut at 1 `for a portion of the length of the insert, the remaining portions of said inserts being seamed to the adjacent free edges of the fabric of the legs 9 until' continued in the inner seams of the the legs where the free edges of the leg portions 9 are brought together at their inner the knitted fabric is very greatly facilitated and the expense thereof greatly reduced for with a knife following the lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 and with cross 1cuts on the lines 5 several thicknesses of the knitted fabric may be cut on these lines; and at the conclusion of the cutting operation the inserts 10 have been automatically provided. There remains then only the cutting on the straight lines 6 and 7 to remove the gussets 11 and then a lfurther cut onl the line 8 to separate the leg portions 'thus provided from each other.l

There is no waste unless `it should be desired to use only one of the inserts 10 instead of both of them. By using both of the inserts 10 a better and more durable gar-v `wear garment which consists in providin ment is provided particularly in those of the lighter weights.

The invention is exceptionally practical and has proved very satisfactory in all respects. It is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure comingwithin their scope.

I claim;

1. The process of manufacturing an underan elongated length of tubular fabric laid flat and cutting therefrom at spacedapart points substantially triangular spaced inserts 1n the bodyof and between the side edges of the tubular fabric, also cutting from the end of one insert to the adjacent end of the next, insert and further cutting from one edge of the fiat tubular fabric' transversely inward to the nearest angle of the inserts, and further cutting from the upper layer of tubular fabric directly opposite said transverse cut a triangular shaped gusset in the shape of an isosceles triangle the apex of which is at the opposite side edge of the flat tubular fabric and the base of which is coincidenty with one side of the upper of the inserts, next cutting the under layer of fabric'from the side edge of the tube transversely across to said inserts and repeating the operation for as many times as the length of tubular fabric will permit, thus forming a series of units, i. e., two leg portions, two inserts, and one gusset, then seaming together the back edges of the two leg portions a distance from their upper end portions, next connecting the gusset between the diverging leg portions and finally connecting an insert between the gusset and the front edges of the leg portions.

2. The process of garment production which consists in cutting from a fiat length of tubular knitted fabric, two leg portions one at each side of the fabric, the leg portions being in reversed position with respect to each other when cut from the fabric, whereby at the lower ends of said leg portions fabric pieces are left to provide parts of triangular spaced inserts, repeating said cutting of leg portions from the length of tubular fabric with the leg portions cut from each side of the fabric reversed with respect to each other, whereby the triangular shaped inserts are completely cut from the fabric in cutting said leg portions therefrom, separating the leg portions at theirlower end 'parts by a transverse cut, cutting a gusset in a shape of an isosceles triangle vfrom the upperlayer of fabric atthe upper ends of contiguous leg portions, andthereafter sepa- -rating the contiguous leg portions at their upper ends by a transverse cut through the lower layer of fabric, then having the back edges of the two leg portions seamed together for a distance at their upper end portions,

leg portions, said insert at itsopposite sides being connected to the front edges ofsaid leg portions, said insertextending from the g upper ends of the seams connecting the edges of the leg portions at the inner sides and lower portions thereof.

3. Asmethod of manufacturing underwear, which consists in laying a length of tubular knitted fabric flat with an upper side of the fabric over the lower side thereof cutting the fabric lengthwise between the side edges to form triangular shaped inserts, separating the leg portions from' each other by transverse cuts extending to the meeting points of said sides of the inserts, cutting a gusset between the ends of adjacent leg portions from the upper side of fabric opposite s aid transverse cuts, and cutting the lower side of the fabric to separate the leg portions from each other in alignment with said fust mentioned'transverse cuts, thenfassembling the several parts so that the portion of the. leg

v Aadjacent which the gusset was originally located serves as a front edge'of the underwear thereby providing a dip therefor.

In testimony Whereof` I aix my signature. 15. EILERT A. CLEMENTS. 

